Three Promises
by Heart of PureSilver
Summary: Sequel to Three Words. He only wanted to make Izuna's wish a reality. Unfortunately for him, Tobirama took it upon himself to bring that wish to fruition…literally. Yaoi. TobiIzu Mpreg. HashiMada. Don't like, don't read.
1. Gift

"Come on, Uncle 'Zuzu! You're so slow!"

"You'll be eating those words once I catch you, ya little twerp!"

"I'd like to see you try!"

Tobirama watched on with a smile as Izumi constantly slipped out of Izuna's grasp. It was times like this when she would play tag with Izuna that her lineage really showed. Being the daughter of two clan heads belonging to the two greatest ninja clans known to shinobi history would give her many advantages over other children. Like her mother, she was quick-witted and deceptively agile while she observed her opponent's weaknesses and plotted accordingly. Like her father, she knew when to take things seriously and when she could let loose and have fun.

Izuna dove at her, snatching her legs by surprise. Izumi let out a startled squeak before she landed on the floor with a thump. Izuna proceeded to flutter his fingers down her sides. She burst out laughing as her uncle continued to tickle her.

"Uncle 'Zuzu, stop!" she cried, trying to escape her tickle torturer. "I can't breathe!"

"I told you I'd make you eat those words!" Izuna declared triumphantly.

"I give! I give! I'm sorry!"

Izuna began laughing himself, pulling his niece into a hug. She giggled, wrapping her little arms around his neck. She looked Izuna in the eye, her wood-colored irises sparkling with innocence and wonder.

"Hey, Uncle 'Zuzu? Why don't I have any cousins?"

Izuna gaped. "Huh!?"

"Well, Daddy and Mama have me, right? Can't you and Uncle Tobi get a kid too? I want a cousin to play with. That way, all of us can have even more fun together! Wouldn't that be great?"

"Izumi-chan…" Izuna sighed. "That isn't possible for me or for Uncle Tobi. We don't have the right equipment to get a baby."

"What kind of equipment do you need?"

"Very special equipment; so special that it's impossible for normal men like us to obtain it. Both your mother and father are great men, so they were blessed with that equipment. With it, they were able to get you."

"Really? Can't you ask Mama or Daddy if you can borrow it?"

"No. We can't. It's forbidden for others to use it."

"Oh…"

"But…" Izuna said, his grip on Izumi increasing slightly. "If there _was_ a way for me and Uncle Tobi to get a baby, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

"What do you mean?" Tobirama questioned curiously.

"Well…Look at Izumi for example," Izuna began, holding her up for Tobirama to see. "She's a wonderful kid and I love every moment I spend with her. I want to be able to share this kind of bond with a kid of our own."

"You know, there's always adoption."

Izuna shook his head. "I'm not against adoption, but I really want to have a child born from _us;_ just like Izumi was from our brothers. I know it's an impossible wish, but…I want to raise a family together with you more than anything…"

"Izuna…"

"I know my ideas are oftentimes ridiculous and downright crazy, but I mean it this time. If it was possible, I would definitely have a child with you."

"Don't worry, Uncle 'Zuzu!" Izumi exclaimed. "It's okay! I'll ask Mama if I can borrow his equipment to make a baby for you two! Girls are allowed to use it, right?"

"That's very kind of you, Izumi-chan," Tobirama said, ruffling her hair up. "But I think it'd be better if you didn't speak about it. It's a very sensitive topic to bring up to your mother."

"Well, I can still ask him and Daddy if they'll help you, can't I?"

"No."

"But Uncle Tobi—"

There was a loud crash that came from a different room in the house. Izuna picked up Izumi, rushing toward the area where he heard the sound with Tobirama following after him. They entered the main living room, finding a prone Hashirama laying on the floor with a seething Madara hovering over him.

"I _specifically_ told you I didn't want to go through it again!" Madara furiously roared, his hands placed in the Tiger seal to perform a Fire Style jutsu. "You never listen to me, you idiot!"

"I'm sorry, Madara!" Hashirama wailed, covering his head to shield himself from his husband's wrath.

"Mama, what happened?" Izumi cautiously asked, hiding a bit into Izuna's chest.

Madara stopped his rampage long enough to notice his daughter in the room. He sighed deeply, walking over to Izuna and taking Izumi out of his arms. He held her close, looking into her eyes with a sheepish expression on his face.

"Izumi-chan, you know how I've been sick recently?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I was worried about that. Is something wrong with you?"

"Well…yes and no."

"You're not dying, are you!? Please don't die, Mama! I love you too much! You _can't_ die!"

"I'm not dying, Izumi. I'm just…"

Izumi cocked her head to the side. "Just what?"

"You're going to be a big sibling pretty soon."

It took a whole three seconds for Izumi to comprehend her mother's statement. When it processed, she let out a loud cheer before she began hugging Madara.

"I'm getting a baby brother or sister!?" she squealed happily.

"Yes. Yes, you are," Madara answered, smiling at her excited reaction. "But he or she won't come for several months, so you have to be patient."

"I'll be patient, Mama! So where's the baby now?"

"What?"

"Uncle 'Zuzu told me that you and Daddy have special equipment that you use to grow the baby. Where is it?"

Madara sent a sharp glare at Izuna, who had partially hidden himself behind Tobirama. He turned back to Izumi, placing her down on the floor. She blinked her big eyes as she watched Madara take her hands. He led them to his midsection and placed them against it. She explored a bit, pressing lightly on his abdomen. She then beamed.

"Your tummy's roundish!" she giggled. "The baby is inside you?"

"Yes."

"You didn't eat it…did you, Mama?"

Madara laughed. "No, I didn't eat it. Baby needs help from me in order to grow, so it'll be living in me for a while. Baby will come out eventually, but you have to wait before that happens."

"Oooooooh! That's okay then!" Izumi exclaimed before she snuggled up against his belly, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Hey, baby! This is your big sister! I can't wait to meet you, so grow up fast, okay?"

Izuna laughed to himself, watching Izumi poke at his elder brother's stomach. He then looked to Tobirama, wondering if he found the scene to be hilariously cute too. He found his husband with a stern look on his face, his eyes distant and his hand placed near his chin. He seemed to be thinking deeply about something.

"Tobirama?" Izuna asked. "What is it?"

"It's nothing," he replied. "I've been thinking about what you said. I think I know how to make it a reality."

Izuna raised an eyebrow at the calculating smile that spread across Tobirama's face. "Huh?"

"You'll see…in time."

* * *

><p>"It's finally done."<p>

"What is, Uncle Tobi?"

"That's for me to know and for you to find out."

"Come on, Uncle Tobi! Don't be sneaky! I know that look. You came up with a new jutsu, didn't you?"

Tobirama sighed at the child who had decided to hang on his back like a monkey. He couldn't tell her exactly what he had accomplished. For the past two years, he had been working on a way to make Izuna's dream a reality. As much as Hashirama had joked about him making a Fertility Jutsu, Tobirama had actually decided to create it.

Much had happened in the two years that had passed while Tobirama was busy working on the jutsu. The most notable thing was the arrival of his nephews. Hashirama was pleasantly surprised when Madara gave birth to twin boys. Madara, though he was happy with his new sons, swore he'd make Hashirama suffer after the torture he went through: double the morning sickness, double the cravings, double the mood swings, and double the weight gain. Madara still bemoaned about the visible stretch marks he had acquired during that little adventure. Tobirama silently thanked the gods he would never have to go through that torment.

He had to thank Madara for allowing him to "study" his bodily changes during his pregnancy with the twins. When asked why, Tobirama had revealed his intentions to give Izuna the family he so desperately wanted. Madara had teased him about becoming soft, but the Uchiha was more than accepting of Tobirama's prodding if it would potentially make Izuna happy. Using the data he had gathered from observing Madara, Tobirama had tried to work it into a jutsu where it would give the target a similar functioning womb. In short, it was supposed to temporarily make the target a hermaphrodite like Madara and Hashirama. He knew there could be kinks he had to work out, but it wasn't like he could test it on just anyone.

He felt tugging on his pant legs, bringing him out of his thoughts. He looked down, finding one the twins trying to get his attention. He bent over, picking the child up. Large black eyes and a mop of half-black, half-white hair stared back at him.

"Akio, I can't play with you right now," he said. "Uncle Tobi is busy."

Akio frowned, his lower lip trembling. Tobirama inwardly groaned. Compared with his elder twin, Akio was a crybaby. Tobirama supposed he got it from his late uncle, Itama. But despite that, he almost always had a smile on his face and seemed to have a laidback personality much like his father. His brother, Ryo, looked like a mini Madara with brown hair. He seemed to have a short fuse and got annoyed fairly easily. He also had his mother's issue with people standing behind him. Despite that, he was always at his happiest when around Akio.

He felt Izumi get off his back, skipping up to Akio. She took hold of her little brother, beaming at him.

"Come on, Akio!" she said. "You can play with nee-chan! Won't that be fun?"

"Ah!" Akio cheered, smiling with glee.

He watched as Izumi carried Akio away. Despite the amount of trouble those kids managed to get into, he always had a good time watching over them. They weren't spoiled little brats that craved constant attention. Izumi was well-mannered for her age and the twins seemed to be picking up that feature from her. All three of Madara's kids were a joy to be around.

"_And maybe we can raise a child like them too,_" he mused.

Tobirama felt something odd swell in his chest at the thought. Despite his cold outlook, Tobirama treasured children and he always secretly wanted to have some of his own one day. Now, with his Fertility Jutsu in existence, it seemed both he and Izuna would be able to gain the child they wished for.

He heard the front door open. He turned his head around, finding Izuna standing there. The Uchiha walked up to him, a huge smile on his face. He had his hands hidden behind his back. Tobirama smirked at his husband and his cheesy attempt at concealing something. Izuna whipped out his hands, revealing what he was hiding.

"Happy anniversary," he said cheerily, holding a new happuri with Konoha's symbol emblazoned on it. "I made it myself…mostly. I had _some_ help…"

Tobirama took the metal headgear, placing it upon his head. It fit snugly on him, which he was grateful for. He smiled at Izuna as he took the happuri off.

"Thank you," Tobirama said, pulling Izuna into a warm embrace.

"Don't mention it," Izuna replied. "I did my part. Now it's your turn."

"I can't give it to you right now."

"Why not?"

"It's a secret."

"Aw, come on! Don't leave me in the dark now! Tell me what it is!"

Tobirama smirked at Izuna as he pulled away from him. He took hold of Izuna's hand and lead him out of the room. Izuna had hundreds of questions fly through his mind as Tobirama began pulling him towards wherever their destination was. They passed by numerous households and streets of Konoha. Some passerby greeted the couple on their way. Izuna soon recognized where Tobirama was taking him. The Senju was heading towards Hokage Mountain. A slew of memories came rushing back to him as he stared at the golden stone of the cliff face. Tobirama released his grip on Izuna's wrist when they finally reached the top of the mountain. Izuna looked around briefly before he focused his attention back to his husband. Tobirama was standing near the edge of the cliff, looking down over the village.

"You remember when this area used to be nothing but trees?" Tobirama asked aloud as Izuna walked up to stand next to him.

"Yeah. I also remember back when this cliff didn't have your brother's ugly mug carved into it."

"And you still remember what this place was back then?"

Izuna nodded. "Of course I do. This was the place we first met. It's also the place where I proposed to you and you subsequently proceeded to whale on me before accepting it."

Tobirama frowned. "You announced it loud enough so that the whole village could hear you. It was disturbing and downright embarrassing. How did you expect me to _not_ have a negative reaction?"

"Hey, people do crazy things when they're in love," Izuna answered with a shrug.

"I know," Tobirama said. "I believe it now more than ever since I've done the same thing."

"Huh?"

"Izuna," Tobirama began. "You and I both know it's impossible to raise a family of our own."

"Oh, no! You did _not_! You didn't…?"

"I did. I—"

"You adopted a kid without my consent!?" Izuna interrupted in shock.

Tobirama slammed his palm against his forehead. "No! I made a jutsu so we can have kids ourselves, you fool!"

Izuna froze at the words, his eyes widening in surprise. "What?"

"You told me two years ago that you wanted to have kids of our own, but you lamented the fact that it would never happen since we don't have the same 'gifts' as our brothers. I've been working on a way for it to be possible for one of us to…carry a child."

"So all those times when you told the kids you were too busy…you were working on a Fertility Jutsu? Just so we could have a child born from us?"

Tobirama awkwardly nodded. He felt a body crash into his chest, arms tightly wrapped around him in a hug. Izuna was trembling slightly, but it was not out of sorrow. Izuna started laughing, tears falling down his face.

"You're such an idiot!" he exclaimed. "I'm…I don't know what to say."

"You can say 'thank you'. It's common courtesy to do so," Tobirama sarcastically replied.

"I guess this news is your anniversary gift to me?"

"Yes. Yes it is."

"So…which of us is supposed to be the mother?"

"Well, I intended it to be you when I started working on the jutsu. Unless you have qualms about it…"

"Oh, believe me; I don't," Izuna answered. "I'm so happy right now. Even though I know the symptoms are going to be hell, I'm more than willing to deal with them. Tobirama…thank you so much for doing this."

"You're welcome, Izuna."

* * *

><p>Not long after Izuna heard the news of Tobirama's Fertility Jutsu, the two shared a very sensual night together. Tobirama told him that he had activated the jutsu before they went at it like they normally did when they felt like it: taking turns and switching positions for the other. After that night, Izuna was impatiently waiting for the symptoms to start. He occasionally lifted up his shirt to look at his midsection, pushing it out to make a fake baby bump. He sincerely wondered when exactly he was going to start showing. He hadn't asked his brother about the topic; he wanted the whole thing to be a secret until the time was right.<p>

Soon, about a month had passed and things ended up confusing Izuna. He had felt fine for the entirety of the six weeks when he was supposed to experience the first few signs of pregnancy, the most prominent being morning sickness. Much to his surprise, he hadn't felt sick or queasy at all. He guessed it had something to do with Tobirama's jutsu.

Speaking of his husband, Izuna had not seen Tobirama much during the previous week. It seemed like Tobirama was avoiding him and that worried him. Was he mentally preparing himself that he would be a father sometime soon? Were things at the Hokage's office beginning to pile up? Was he concerned that the jutsu had failed and went back to work on it? Izuna had no idea.

He sighed, holding Ryo close to him as he watched Izumi and Akio draw on a blank sheet of paper. He smirked at the off kilter and disproportioned illustrations of their family. Izumi was sketching her parents holding the hands of the kids while a smiling sun was looking down on them. Akio…he had no idea what the blue and black blobs he was making were.

"Is that supposed to be Uncle Tobi and Uncle 'Zuzu?" Izumi asked Akio. The boy nodded happily. "Great! Be sure to add hair to them! You don't want them bald, do you?"

Akio fearfully looked at his picture before he frantically began adding hair to the figures. Izuna chuckled at his nephew. He then jerked at the sound of the front door slamming open. Placing Ryo down, he immediately jumped up and rushed to where he heard the noise. He let out a gasp. Tobirama was there, leaning against the wall with his arms wrapped tightly around his stomach. He looked pale and seemed to be in pain. If he were anyone else, he'd be ready to collapse to the floor right then and there.

"Tobirama, what happened?" Izuna worriedly asked.

Tobirama raised his head to look at Izuna. He opened his mouth, but all that came out was a gag. He immediately slammed a hand over his mouth before he hurried past Izuna, heading for the bathroom. Izuna followed after him, cringing when he heard his husband retching. He peeked into the bathroom to find Tobirama hunched over the porcelain throne, visibly shaking as he hurled into it. Izuna knelt down next to the Senju, rubbing his back as he continued to vomit. Once Tobirama was done, he placed his forehead against the cool material of the toilet before flushing his stomach contents away.

"Tobirama? Are you alright?"

"Crap…" was Tobirama's only reply.

* * *

><p><strong>And here we are! The sequel to <strong>_**Three Words**_**! kitsunelover300 and I present **_**Three Promises**_**! This time, we'll be focusing on Tobirama and Izuna's budding family. It looks like Tobirama's "gift" ended up with the wrong person. =3**

**It's a bit of a short first chapter, but I'll make up for it in future ones. What will happen this time around with the "joys" of pregnancy? Be sure to fav, follow, and/or review! Stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	2. Issues

"Well?"

"I'm having déjà vu to the max. Madara-sama came to me with similar concerns and I diagnosed you with the same exact condition he had. Tobirama-sama…you're pregnant."

The Senju slammed his hand to his forehead. "I was afraid of that…"

"So you already knew?"

"I had suspected as much when I sensed a tiny chakra _inside_ of me."

Sayuri crossed her arms as Tobirama sat up and pulled his shirt down. "Care to explain to me how you have a bun in your oven?"

"It's a long story and it's one I really don't want to tell," he snapped.

"Have you told Izuna-sama yet?"

"No…I've been avoiding him for a while now."

"You really shouldn't do that."

He sighed. "I know. I wanted to be sure of my 'condition' before I made him get excited over nothing. If it was just a regular sickness, he would have been disappointed. I didn't want to do that to him."

Sayuri smiled. "Well, you have good news to tell him now. You're ten weeks in. Are there any symptoms that have been bothering you?"

"Exhaustion, constant vomiting, and terrible abdominal pain," Tobirama muttered. "I couldn't get out of my bed one morning; it was _that_ bad."

"I think you're working too much, Tobirama-sama," Sayuri stated. "I know being the Hokage's advisor is an important duty and it can't be done by just anyone, but you need to consider the wellbeing of your baby now. Everything you do can end up affecting him or her in some way."

"Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I'm helpless," he growled.

Sayuri narrowed her eyes. "I wasn't implying that you were."

He crossed his arms, scowling at her. She sighed, giving him a sheepish expression.

"You should relax. Take a warm bath. Do some light exercising. Kick back and take a nap. Just take a break from the stressful work you do every day for once."

"Tell that to my incompetent brother. If he could handle things on his own, I could probably do all of that. Since he clearly is in no way capable of making vital decisions on his own without messing them up, it falls to me to be the voice of reason."

"Why don't you ask Madara-sama to temporarily take over for you? I'm sure Hokage-sama would listen to him and he would be more than capable of weighing hefty choices himself."

"I suppose…"

"Tell you what; I won't speak a word about this to anyone. When to reveal this news is up to you. But I would suggest you do it sooner rather than later."

Sayuri stood up, leaving the room and letting Tobirama sit by himself. He inwardly groaned. Why did his jutsu have to do this to him instead of Izuna? He knew there were going to be a few hiccups on his first attempt, but he had not expected this. Rather than affect his target, it affected the user. He knew something was wrong with him several weeks after that night they shared together. The nausea came first. Thankfully, it wasn't that severe and he was able to ignore it. Unfortunately for him, his tolerance plummeted the next week. The nausea eventually worsened and soon he found himself throwing up whatever meal he had eaten last. It lasted all day, every day for a few weeks. Why medics called it "morning" sickness was beyond him.

Tobirama lifted his shirt again, looking down at his abdomen. He could already see a forming bulge against his normally toned stomach. He frowned as he ran his hand over the slight bump. Izuna would no doubt be thrilled and that thought alone made him happy, but it did not mean he liked the idea that he was going to be the "mother" of their child. He slowly tugged his shirt over his little swelling, hiding it from the rest of the world.

"Tobirama?"

He turned his head, finding Izuna standing in the doorway. The Uchiha came up to him, a worried look on his face. Tobirama's sharp features softened at the expression. Izuna sat down next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"What did Sayuri-san say?" he asked. "Is it bad?"

"Well..." Tobirama began unsurely. "I'm pregnant."

Izuna blinked. "Huh?"

"I don't know how or why, but I think my jutsu backfired on me," the Senju explained, placing a hand on his abdomen. "I was avoiding you until I could confirm my suspicions. Turns out I was right."

"So…you're carrying our child instead of me?"

"That's what I just said. I'm ten weeks along."

Izuna immediately wrapped his arms around Tobirama's waist, nuzzling his cheek into his belly. Tobirama recoiled at the action, nearly falling off the bed in the process. He watched on with disturbed confusion as Izuna continued cuddling his stomach.

"Baby!" Izuna cooed. "I'm so happy to know you're here! I'm going to be the best daddy in the world to you! So grow up big and strong for me and Mama, okay?"

"Don't even _start_, Izuna!" Tobirama snarled. "I will not be called 'Mama', understand!?"

"Okay, Mama Rama," Izuna teased. "Whatever you say."

"IZUNA!"

"Come on, Tobirama! You're so lucky! You get to carry our baby."

"I know that, but I beg to differ. I don't want to be a whale!"

"Even so, you'll still be the whale that I love. Don't worry, Tobi-chan. The whole family will be here to support you."

Tobirama groaned. "Can we _not_ tell them about this? That's a disaster waiting to happen. Knowing Madara, he'll use it as an excuse to ridicule me. And onii-chan…"

"What about your oaf of a brother?"

"I dread to think what his reaction will be."

"Come on. How bad could it be?"

* * *

><p>"Wait…<em>what<em>!? Can you repeat that!?"

Tobirama narrowed his eyes, a blush flaring across his face. "Onii-chan, I don't ask for much. Don't make me say it again, please…"

"I'm sorry, but I think I'm going crazy from a lack of sleep," Hashirama admitted. "I thought I heard you say…"

"I'm pregnant," finished Tobirama, a fierce look in his eyes. "You heard me correctly the first time."

Hashirama laughed awkwardly as he turned to Madara. "He's not serious, is he?"

"I sense it," Madara stated bluntly. "He's being completely serious about this, Hashirama. Your brother is indeed knocked up."

Hashirama gaped in shock, making incoherent sounds while pointing a finger at Tobirama's still flat stomach as his brain tried to wrap itself around the news. It went into overdrive until it overheated and subsequently overloaded. The Senju fell backwards, landing with a thump on the floor. Madara casually looked down at his unconscious husband. Izumi got out of her chair at the table and poked her unresponsive dad.

"He took that well, don't you think?" the Uchiha quipped.

"He took it better than I thought he would," Tobirama confessed.

"Mama, why did Daddy fall over like that?" Izumi curiously asked, still trying to get her father to wake up. "He isn't dead, is he?"

"Daddy is fine," Madara answered. "He's just being Daddy again, that's all."

"_Oooooooh_. Okay!"

Izumi stopped her poking, standing up and skipping back to her chair at the table. She went back to eating her inarizushi, smearing it over her mouth in the process. Madara's eyebrow twitched when she turned her messy face towards him.

"I'm finished, Mama!" she announced.

Madara said nothing, gently grabbing her face and began wiping it with a napkin. Izumi scrunched her face up as Madara did this, sitting still until he was done.

"How do you manage to get so messy eating food?" Madara questioned her.

"I dunno. I just do!" She giggled, smiling brightly at him. "So Mama; what does pregnant mean?"

"It means Uncle Tobi is gonna have a baby."

Izumi's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as she gasped deeply. She beamed as she launched out of her chair and immediately went to hug her uncle's legs. She began to squeal happily, jumping in place from the excitement.

"Cousin!" she cheered. "Uncle Tobi, you finally got the equipment to grow a baby?"

Tobirama smiled uneasily. "Yes…Yes, I did…"

Tobirama narrowed his eyes at the condescending smile on Madara's face when Izumi wasn't looking. He knew the Uchiha would be milking the situation for all it was worth. Words could not describe the immense hatred he felt for Madara at that moment. He really didn't want to hear whatever snide remarks the Uchiha would no doubt throw at him.

His pupils dilated when he felt Izumi's hand sneak its way up his shirt, pressing lightly on his belly. He snapped his head down at her, finding a curious expression on her face.

"Are you gonna get fat like Mama did?" she asked.

Tobirama inwardly groaned at the wording. "Yes. I'll be getting 'fat' like Madara did, but that won't happen for several months…"

"How big is your baby now?"

"Tiny. Very tiny."

"Izumi, why don't you run along and play with your brothers?" Madara suggested. "Uncle Tobi needs to speak with Daddy as soon as he wakes up."

"Aw, Mom! Can't I stay?" she whined.

"It's grown-up stuff," he said before pointing towards the doorway leading to the living room where the twins were drawing. "It's not for your ears to hear. Now go, you little parasite."

Izumi huffed, but conceded to Madara's demand. She dragged herself over to her brothers, looking over them as they colored. Madara turned back to Tobirama and began snickering. Tobirama's ire immediately rose at the haughty expression on the Uchiha's face.

"To think that you would be the one to go through that hell…oh, the enjoyment I will get out of teasing you in the next seven months!" he laughed.

"It's _not_ funny, Madara," Tobirama growled.

"Don't take it the wrong way. I'm happy for you. But…you really are going to go through hell, Tobirama. I can't wait to see how you handle it."

Tobirama angrily slammed his hands on the table. "Do you think this is some sort of joke!? I didn't ask for this to happen to me!"

"I see the mood swings are already here," Madara casually noted, crossing his arms. "But whether you asked for it or not doesn't matter. What _does_ matter is that you are the 'mother'. You're going to have to do what you can to give your child the best care possible."

"I _know_ that…" Tobirama muttered irately. "Why do you make it sound like that's going to be an issue?"

Madara turned his head, focusing on Izumi as she was roleplaying a dragon-slaying ninja in front of the twins. A guilty expression crossed his features, a distinct sadness reflecting in his eyes.

"Because you never know what could happen…" Madara answered softly.

Tobirama frowned. He remembered the day of Izumi's birth clearly. Even now, Madara worried that weird black figure would appear again to swipe his children from under his nose. There was no doubt that it was capable of doing so easily.

"Doesn't it bother you?" he found himself asking. "When Izumi calls you _that_?"

"It used to, but I've gotten used to it," Madara replied. "I've vainly tried to teach her otherwise and call me 'Father', but she refuses to listen. Hopefully, Ryo and Akio will learn to do so. Even if they don't, I won't mind. To be honest…being a mother is truly a gift. I never thought I'd get to feel such a deep connection with my kids as I do now had I not brought them into life myself."

Tobirama unconsciously placed a hand against his stomach. "Even so…I don't feel like I'm ready for this…"

"I felt the same way. That's what family is for, isn't it?"

Tobirama said nothing. He then winced when he felt a tugging come from his middle. He draped an arm around his abdomen, hunching over slightly as the pain steadily became worse. Madara noticed his discomfort.

"Cramping?" he asked.

Tobirama merely nodded, his eyes clenched shut. He slowly descended to his knees on the floor, curling in on himself as he wrapped his other arm around his stomach. He gritted his teeth together, breathing deeply in and out to help mute the pain he was feeling. He felt a hand rub against his back, the person kneeling down next to him. He raised his head to look at Madara, a confused expression on his face.

"You're my brother-in-law, not to mention I've been through the same shit…twice," he answered. "I know it seems like this is the worst thing in the world that could have happened to you, but I promise you it will get better. You'll see."

"Somehow I doubt that…" Tobirama hissed out.

The two men heard a groan. They saw Hashirama sit upright, rubbing the huge bruise on the back of his head when it made contact with the floor.

"Oh man…my head…" he hissed.

"Welcome back to the world of the living, you idiot," Madara jokingly replied.

Hashirama turned his head towards them. "What happened?"

"You passed out after you heard that your younger brother is expecting."

"That wasn't a dream!?" he shouted in disbelief. "He's really…?"

Tobirama sent a harsh glare at his elder brother. "Is it really so hard for you to believe that? You accepted Madara's condition right away, so why do you have issues with mine?"

Hashirama frowned guiltily. "It's just…I never expected you to…"

"Shut up," the younger Senju bit back as he struggled to stand up, arms still wrapped around his midsection. "Obviously, Madara's words hold more truth than mine."

"Tobirama, that's not—!"

"I'm your brother! The least you could do is believe me!"

Hashirama watched in alarm as Tobirama fell back to his knees, hunching over as his hands clutched his stomach tightly. The Hokage rushed over to him, concern evident in his eyes.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It _hurts_…" Tobirama weakly replied. "So bad, it hurts…and I don't know why…"

Hashirama moved Tobirama's hands before placing his own over the area. A soft green glow came from his hand as he concentrated. Tobirama's pained expression slowly relaxed as Hashirama did this. A frown graced the Hokage's features briefly before it went away. A relieved look appeared in his eyes.

"Don't worry, Tobirama. It's nothing serious," he explained. "It's just your new addition appeared so suddenly that your body hasn't had time to adjust to its new place inside you. All that pain is from your organs shifting to accommodate the new addition, not to mention that new structure is expanding thanks to your baby. The pain should go away eventually on its own."

"Wonderful…" Tobirama sarcastically replied.

Tobirama let out a startled yell when Hashirama pulled him into a big hug. He heard his elder brother laughing jovially into his ear.

"I'm so happy for you, otouto!" he exclaimed. "You get to be a mom and I get to be an uncle!"

"I am not a mom, Hashirama!" Tobirama retorted. "Just because the brat's growing in me doesn't make me a woman!"

"I never said you were. But technically, you are the 'mother' since you'll be the one giving birth."

Tobirama's eyes dilated. "Give birth…?"

"Give birth," Hashirama repeated, oblivious to his brother's distress.

"Someone, please kill me now…"

"Welcome to the club," Madara quipped. "This is just the beginning."

"We should celebrate! Let's plan a baby shower!" Hashirama declared.

Madara glared at him. "It's too early for that, you moron! Besides, Tobirama probably doesn't want that!"

"You never let me have any fun, Madara …"

"Someone needs to keep you in your place when you try to go overboard with simple things. Unfortunately, that job falls to me and your brother."

"Oh right!" Hashirama exclaimed in realization. He turned to Tobirama. "I'm relieving you of your advisor duties."

Tobirama gaped. "But I—!"

"No buts about it. You need to stop working right away. I don't want you overexerting yourself simply because of the duties you need to perform. You have a baby you need to consider now."

"It's the size of a prune for kami's sake! Like anything is going to happen to it!"

"You can never be too careful."

Tobirama scowled. He hated that he was being treated like a precious china vase that would crack at the slightest contact. He was capable of taking care of himself. Izuna knew that. They all knew that! He wasn't physically impaired yet, so why was it such an issue that he wanted to continue doing his work!?

"_This is ridiculous…_" he mentally growled. He looked down at his still flat stomach. "_You're ruining everything for me. Izuna better be happy about this because I know I most certainly am not._"

* * *

><p>"Alright, what's with the grumpy face?"<p>

"I always have a grumpy face in your eyes."

"I mean more so than usual. What's wrong?"

Tobirama said nothing. He was currently lying on their bed, clutching a pillow tightly. He had no other object to direct his stress onto. Izuna sighed, walking over to him and sitting on the bed. He placed a hand on Tobirama's back.

"Tobi, please. I can't help if you won't talk to me."

"Everything's wrong," Tobirama sighed.

Izuna blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I told Hashirama and Madara about the 'good' news."

"Oh? And how did they respond?"

"Onii-chan was ecstatic and Madara was happy for both of us. But they began treating me like I'm some fragile damsel that can't take care of herself. I despise it."

"It'll get better, Tobirama. I promise."

"How could it?" he questioned. "The realization finally came down on me. I'm raising a _baby_. I'm going to have to be a 'mother'. I'll have to give _birth_ to it! I don't have the slightest clue on how to do any of those!"

"Don't worry about it. You'll be fine."

"You know I have issues getting along with others. What if our child hates me?"

"Nii-san had that concern too when he had Izumi, so I'll tell you the same thing I told him. You're the 'mother' and there's a special connection shared between mother and child. To be honest, I'm jealous of you."

"Why?"

"I wanted to know what having a bond like that was like. They say there is no greater love than that of a mother for her child. When I look at nii-san with his kids…I've never seen such happiness in his eyes before. That kind of love is extraordinary. I really wanted to have that sort of connection with our baby…"

"Believe me; I'd rather have you be the 'mother' than me. You have that caring and warm personality to suit that role."

"Well, even though I'm still a bit upset about not being the 'mother', I think maybe this might be better."

"How so?"

"You need to loosen up and be free to express yourself, Tobirama," Izuna explained. "You're too uptight. You deserve to be happy too. Maybe having that mother-child bond can help you with that."

Tobirama placed his hand on his belly. "I don't know how you can possibly think I could feel such love towards it. It's been nothing but a nuisance so far."

"Once he or she gets bigger, I think then you'll start to feel it."

He groaned. "Don't remind me. I'm not looking forward to getting fat."

"Think of it this way: we'll finally have a child once it's over. It's _our_ child: a piece of you and me that created another person entirely."

"Right…" Tobirama mumbled, still looking unsurely at his midsection. "_Our_ child…"

"I've already started picking out names! Ichigo or Momo if it's a girl, Haru or Mamoru if it's a boy; what do you think?"

"I don't want to worry about it right now…"

"Stop being such a sourpuss!" Izuna laughed, lying down beside Tobirama. "It's not going to be the end of the world if you put on a little weight."

"I wouldn't call twenty-five to thirty pounds a 'little' weight, Izuna."

"You're such a grouch."

"It's called being realistic."

"I hope our kid takes after me," Izuna stated. "Maybe having another fun lover in the family will make you less of a grump."

"I hope it takes more after you. You can distract it while I can complete work that needs to be done."

"But all you ever do is work! When was the last time we ever did something together that wasn't in between the sheets?"

"Several months ago. Is that a problem?"

Izuna narrowed his eyes. "You know, I'm glad Hokage-teme basically put you on maternity leave. Knowing you, you'd just keep pushing yourself mentally and physically. That won't be good for the baby."

"Why does everything have to be focused on the brat right now?" Tobirama snapped. "Nothing is going to happen to it. Why can't any of you understand that?"

"Because it's a tiny and fragile being right now," answered Izuna. "He or she _needs_ you to live. If anything happens to you, baby will feel it too. You're _that_ deeply interconnected."

Tobirama said nothing, opting to bury his face into the pillow he was holding. He stayed like that for a several seconds before he turned back to Izuna.

"I think you need to come up with some better names," he said. "If we go with your choices, all I'll be thinking about is fruit if it ends up being a girl."

Izuna blinked. "Huh?"

"This was supposed to be my gift to you, Izuna. I want you to be happy. Even now, I still want that. I'm not pleased about the situation…but the least I can do is to make sure your gift comes without any complications."

Izuna smiled. "Tobi…"

"Just…don't go overboard with the gushing once I start getting fat, alright?"

"You're not gonna be fat. You're gonna be showing. They're completely different. Fat is fat. Showing means the baby is growing strong and healthy."

"Either way, don't—"

"I won't," Izuna said, running a hand through Tobirama's hair. "I know this a big change for you. It's my job to make sure you're comfortable as you adjust to everything."

Tobirama positioned himself over Izuna, looking down on his husband. "That's the understatement of the century."

"Okay. It's an _enormous_ change. But no matter what happens or what you think about the situation, I'm always going to be by your side. That hasn't changed and it isn't going to anytime soon."

"Izuna…" Tobirama said, leaning down and gazing into his husband's fathomless black eyes. "You talk too much."

Izuna frowned at the comment, but his annoyance evaporated when Tobirama's lips made contact with his. His hands danced through the snow-white locks he loved so much, his soul diving deep into the crimson eyes that had captured his heart so effortlessly.

He knew they both were going to face many challenges in the future, but he was willing to deal with all of them as long as he had his love by his side.

* * *

><p><strong>Tobi isn't happy and Izu is a bit sad about not being the mom, but I think they've managed to settle their concerns. I love how cute these two are together! So the news is out and the whole family is happy! Izumi...you're too adorable for me!<strong>

**Stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	3. Changes

Tobirama stared. One of his eyes began twitching. This was not supposed to happen until a later time! He groaned aloud at his luck.

He couldn't fit into his favorite pair of pants.

Sixteen weeks in and already he hated everything about pregnancy. He was finally over the morning sickness and he felt far more energized than before. The horrible cramping he had felt did eventually go away as Hashirama predicted. Now it was the time for the pregnancy to really show. Izuna had commented one day that he was already glowing. He didn't see it, but Izuna apparently did. If he saw it, then others must be seeing it too. That thought disturbed him on so many levels.

Despite the "good" things that had happened, there were other issues. His belly had expanded rapidly within the course of six weeks. Weight gain was not exactly a good thing in his mind, even if it was necessary for the infant's development. It was sticking out enough that others could see it through his shirts. He could no longer hide his girth behind them and that worried him. Soon he'd have to hide his figure behind a Henge; otherwise people would think he was letting himself go, getting weak in the process. His family, however, was happy that he was showing. Izumi had introduced the twins to his personal lump, telling them they should say hi to their new cousin. Hashirama had gushed over him, Madara had congratulated him in his own fashion, and Izuna had pretty much stuck himself to Tobirama's side through the past weeks.

He ran a hand across his stomach, feeling perturbed as he watched it curve over his rising mound. He missed his six-pack dearly. He did not like having his gut bulging outwards. It was disconcerting and it unnerved him. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that there was a _baby_ growing within him.

The baby that was causing so much trouble for both him and Izuna.

The news about Tobirama's pregnancy got to the Senju and Uchiha elders and, once again, they all threw a fit. However, this time they had infinitely more power over Tobirama and Izuna than they had with Madara and Hashirama. Their elder brothers were the clan heads and were therefore able to overturn any suggestions made by the councils. Tobirama and Izuna were not in such a favorable position. If the councils demanded something, they were supposed to follow that decision. Knowing this, both Hashirama and Madara had been doing what they could to keep the old farts in their place and out of their brothers' lives.

His hands linked underneath his bump, frowning to himself. Despite his misgivings about being the one to carry it, he had found himself adjusting to his role fairly well. He had been more than bored due to his forced "maternity" leave, but it left him the chance to get things done around the house. The main thing he was doing was clearing out a spare room to make a nursery. Of course, he had no idea what to do after the room was cleared since he hadn't the slightest clue what Izuna wanted in terms of furniture and color scheme. Tobirama personally wanted blue and various shades thereof. It was a gut feeling he had that those colors would be the best choices for the room; a sensation he could not explain in terms of where it came from or why he felt it.

He sighed to himself as he put on a looser pair of pants. His whole wardrobe would need to be scrapped at this rate. His shirts were getting tighter and a number of his pants no longer fit him. He picked up the cup of instant ramen he had been snacking on earlier that day before heading back downstairs. He had no idea why he had begun eating copious amounts of ramen recently. He wasn't that big a fan of the food, but now the very thought of ramen made him salivate. Izuna had to stock up on it since he was eating it so much. The ramen probably wasn't helping him much with his weight gain, but he couldn't help himself. He had an odd yearning for it and it would not go away.

His tastes were drifting more towards the salty side. He assumed that was part of the pregnancy cravings Madara had told him about. Those were the cravings that made pregnant women desire the strangest combinations of food. He already experienced it himself. He was drowning nearly everything he ate in soy sauce, even sweet pastries. Izuna had to excuse himself to go barf in the restroom numerous times because of his new _interesting_ choices. Either that or he was going through sympathy pains. Normally, Tobirama would have done the same things as Izuna had he seen his husband eating such disgusting things. It seemed as if his common sense was blind to the atrocious combinations due to his condition.

He heard something crash to the floor, causing him to cringe. He narrowed his eyes at the mess that painted the kitchen floor purple. His gaze focused on the casually whistling six-year-old as she tried to sneak away in plain sight with her baby brother in her arms.

"Izumi…" he said warningly, placing his ramen cup on the counter.

"I didn't mean it!" she blurted out guiltily. "Ryo was crawling into the kitchen, right under the place where all the knives are! I freaked and I ran into the counter, knocking over my juice cup! Don't tell Mom, Uncle Tobi! Please! He'd KILL me if he knew where Ryo was!"

"For crying out loud…" Tobirama muttered. "I don't know how Madara handles all three of you and still manages to keep his sanity."

"Because Mama is the greatest mom in the world!" Izumi declared straightforwardly.

"You DO know he's a guy, right?"

"Yeah. So?"

"It'd be more appropriate to call him your other father, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah, but it doesn't feel right to call him that. I know he's a boy like Daddy, but he's still my mom. I think it's okay to call him that if it's true. You'll be a mama too, Uncle Tobi."

"No, I will not. That term is meant for females, like you. As you can clearly see, I am NOT a girl. I'd be a father, not a mother."

"Technically, the term for mother can be used for the action of giving birth to offspring. Since you would be the one to do so, you'd be nourishing and protecting the baby, which are also traits of motherhood. Therefore, you're going to be a mama."

Tobirama deflated. "Sometimes, I really hate you."

Izumi grinned. "Daddy says I _am_ my mama's child."

"Indeed," Tobirama said, taking Ryo out of Izumi's arms. "Infuriatingly so."

Izumi giggled again before she grabbed a spare towel and began cleaning up the mess she made. Ryo pulled on Tobirama's hair, making a few babbling noises while he did so. He tried to pry the tiny hand off his locks in vain. Ryo laughed as Tobirama's facial expressions twisted around due to the pain he was feeling. Tobirama looked down when he felt someone tugging on his pant legs. Akio was there, arms raised up and face set in a puppy look. Tobirama groaned, picking up the other twin. Akio smiled brightly at his elder brother. Ryo stopped pulling on Tobirama's hair briefly, smiling when he saw his younger twin.

"Izumi…" Tobirama said as both twins began tugging on his face and ears. "Help?"

Izumi laughed cutely. "Practice makes perfect, right? You figure it out."

"_Madara…if this is payback for whatever it is I did to you, you have successfully reaped it,_" Tobirama angrily thought.

He brought the twins to the living room, placing them down on the floor. They looked up at him with big eyes, hoping to goad their uncle into carrying them again. Tobirama knew better than to be tricked by a couple of toddlers.

"Don't even _think_ about it," he stated. "It's not going to work on me."

Ryo pouted and Akio laughed, both kids acknowledging their defeat. Izumi walked over to him, a smile on her face. Tobirama narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the beaming grin she had.

"Uncle Tobi, they want to play with you," she said knowingly. "Can't you understand that?"

"Actually, no," he answered honestly. "Despite the amount of times Izuna and I have looked after you, I've never…"

"You can start now, Uncle Tobi! It's never too late to start playing!" Izumi cheered. "I can help you!"

"_Rikudo Sennin, help me now…_" Tobirama morbidly thought. "_I'm being taught how to 'play' by a six-year-old._"

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Izuna exhaled deeply as he entered the door. He hated those old farts for a good reason. Why did he have to suffer through their nonstop babbling about how "wrong" it was for a man to be pregnant? Sure it was weird, but was that reason enough to completely condemn it? They were stuck in their ways and incapable of adhering to change. He tiredly walked into the living, hoping to plop down on the couch and rest for a bit before he had to go back and argue with the geezers some more. He paused, blinking at what he saw. He smiled to himself, seeing the twins using Tobirama's legs as pillows. Izumi was sitting next to her uncle, her eyes drooping as she listened to the story Tobirama was reading to her.

"I see you've been busy while I was gone," Izuna noted, looking over Tobirama's disheveled appearance.

"Shh," the Senju hushed him. "I finally got the twins to settle down. Don't ruin it."

"Zu!" Akio greeted happily, seeing his other uncle in the room.

Tobirama glared at Izuna. "You couldn't wait until they were asleep?"

Izuna gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry."

"I got it," Izumi said tiredly.

Tobirama and Izuna watched the little girl as she started humming to the twins. The two boys' eyes began closing as she began singing to them in a soothing voice. She sang them a certain lullaby; one neither Izuna nor Tobirama heard before. The twins drifted off to sleep as she was in the middle of the song. Izumi smiled sweetly at them, deciding to finish up the lines she began.

"_Ki-ra-ra, Ki-ra-ra, nobinobi sodatteoku de._"

When she finished, Izumi gently ran a hand through both Ryo and Akio's hair.

"Oyasumi, Ryo. Oyasumi, Akio," she quietly said.

"Cute," Izuna whispered. "Where did you learn that song?"

"From Mama."

"_Nii-san_ taught you that!?"

"Yep, though he only does it to get my brothers to sleep if they're being stubborn. But…whenever I have a nightmare and I'm scared, he'll sing it to me. It reminds me…that he's always there, no matter what."

"I never thought Madara would do something like _that_," muttered Tobirama.

"Neither did I," Izuna quietly replied. "I wonder what other things he's kept hidden from us."

"Well, if he ever teases me later on, I have my blackmail to get back at him," Tobirama said, a devious smirk crossing his features.

"Thanks for playing Dungeons and Dragons with us, Uncle Tobi. It was fun!" Izumi announced, yawning loudly. "Can we play it again with you sometime?"

Tobirama sighed. "Maybe."

Izumi smiled happily, deciding that sleep had won its battle over her. Her eyes closed and her breathing evened out as she slumped against Tobirama's leg. The Senju sighed again, gently picking her up and carrying her in his arms. He spotted Izuna giving him a confused look.

"Dungeons and Dragons?" he questioned in bewilderment.

"Don't ask," Tobirama curtly answered, passing by his husband. "Pick up the twins for me. It's past their bedtime."

Izuna decided to drop the subject, knowing he'd never get anything out of his husband. He quietly gathered up the twins, following Tobirama up the stairs to the guestroom. They laid the sleeping children down, tucking them in as they soundlessly slept. Izuna couldn't help but grin at the three children, finding that he was giddy. He'd be doing the same thing to their child once it came into the world. He looked at Tobirama, eyeing his slightly swollen stomach from afar. He walked up to Tobirama, giving him a kiss on the lips.

"I have to get going again," he whispered. "I'll try to be back soon, but don't hold it against me if I don't. You know how those old fools are."

"I know," Tobirama said, embracing his husband in his arms. "I'm sorry for dragging you into it."

Izuna placed a hand against Tobirama's midsection. "It'll be worth it."

"Stop touching it," Tobirama snapped, smacking the hand away.

Izuna snickered to himself, but he complied. He gave one last smile to Tobirama before he disappeared down the stairs. Tobirama heard the door open and then shut. He was left alone in the room with the sleeping kids. They all looked peaceful, like they never had a care in the world. In a sense, they didn't. They were growing up in a time of relative peace brought on by their parents. They didn't have to suffer through war. Tobirama secretly hoped they never would.

He left the room, closing the door quietly behind him. He slowly drifted his attention to his bloated abdomen as he traveled back downstairs. He hesitantly placed his hands against it, his mind wandering into territories he had yet to explore. Was it a boy or a girl? Who would it look like more? What type of personality would it have? It's favorite food? Color? Parent?

"_There's no need to be concerned about all of that…_" he mentally scolded himself, shaking his head at his thoughts. "_Izuna's enthusiasm is infectious. I need to focus on more important things._"

Deciding he could use some fresh air, Tobirama stepped outside. He looked up at the sky. It was a clear night and one could easily see all the stars shining brightly down in the earth. The moon was full, casting an ethereal glow upon the trees and buildings surrounding him. It was deathly quiet; not even the sound of crickets chirping in the night. The silence left him uneasy. His instincts told him that there was something wrong. There should be at least some noise going on unless there was someone or something unfamiliar within the vicinity. He concentrated, kneading his chakra to sense if there was someone nearby. His eyes snapped open, realizing there was a foreign presence right inside his home.

Right in the room where the kids were sleeping.

"Damn it!" he cursed.

"Noticed right away. You aren't the Hokage's brother for nothing."

Tobirama reeled his head around, turning to face the intruder. He jumped a good few yards away. He glared fiercely at the attacker.

"You…!"

"Who to kill first? Should it be the kids or the brother? Either way, the idiot Hokage won't be happy."

"Those kids are innocent. Don't drag them into your political vengeance."

"Fine. I won't. I'll drag you into it instead, Tobirama Senju."

There was a crash that came from inside the home. Tobirama jerked his head towards one of the windows where he could see a distinct silhouette. That one distraction was his mistake. He felt something sharp slice through his middle. His eyes widened in fear. He placed a hand over the wound, his heart pounding violently when he realized how low the wound was. He looked down, finding a sword piercing his body. Something hard smashed into the back of his head. Black began tugging at the edge of his vision. He cursed himself for allowing himself to be so careless.

He had a sensation of falling before everything was encased in darkness.

* * *

><p>Hashirama felt his chest constrict, causing him to drop the cup of tea he had been carrying. It impacted with the floor, shattering into dozens of pieces and splattering the brown liquid all over the floor. Hashirama frowned uneasily. He knelt down, picking up one of the broken shards. Madara came into the room, scoffing at the new mess.<p>

"You clumsy oaf," he reprimanded the Senju.

"Madara…" Hashirama said quietly. "I have a bad feeling something happened."

"Care to be more specific?" the Uchiha asked, crossing his arms.

"I can't explain it. I just…feel like something's wrong. I don't know what it is, but I know something happened."

"Like a sixth sense?"

"Yeah, like that. How did you—"

"It came with becoming a parent, Hashirama. If something is wrong with one of the kids, I get this gut feeling about it. That feeling happens to be right a lot of the time. So tell me; who is it that you're worried about?"

"…My brother."

"Tobirama can handle himself."

"I know that, but can you still check on him?"

Madara frowned at the desperation in Hashirama's voice. The man was clearly anxious and Madara knew better than to question Hashirama when he was this serious about something. He concentrated, searching the village for the infuriatingly familiar chakra he had come to recognize. He snapped his eyes open in alarm.

"I don't sense him," he answered in shock.

"I _knew_ it!"

Madara's eyes widened when Hashirama zoomed past him and rushed out of the Hokage office. Madara hurriedly followed after him. Hashirama was in a state of panic and Madara knew he had to be there to calm the man down in case they found something…horrible. The trip to their fellow family members' home seemed to take forever. When they arrived, nothing looked amiss. Everything looked to be in place. Hashirama took a look around, hoping to find something that could tell him where his brother was. He paused when he stepped in something wet. He pulled his foot away, looking down at the ground. His breath hitched at the small pool of red liquid.

Blood.

He saw a small, specked trail of spots lead off towards what appeared to be Konoha's entrance. He'd be following after that trail as soon as he searched the house. He entered the place, still finding everything to be undisturbed. He heard familiar crying coming from upstairs. He followed the sound, finding Madara trying to comfort a distraught and hysterical Izumi. She was trying to say something, but it came out in incoherent wails. Madara held her close, whispering tender words into her ear to calm her down. Hashirama went over to her, concern written all over his face. Izumi faced her father, hiccuping near constantly.

"Izumi-chan, what happened?" he calmly questioned her.

"Uncle Tobi…" she managed to say through her hiccups. "Mean men…horns…yellow and gray…tried to...want to kill us…but took him! Daddy, please help him! He's hurt really badly!"

Hashirama wasn't one to normally show rage, but he felt an immense hatred bubble from deep inside him. He knew exactly who Izumi was talking about. He saw unbridled fury in Madara's eyes. He knew that Madara would make the culprits pay for even _trying_ to hurt his children. Madara turned to Hashirama.

"We need to get Izuna. He needs to know about this."

"To join in on the slaughter of two of Kumo's strongest ninja? Go right ahead," Hashirama said coldly. "But I'm going ahead. No one harms my family and gets away with it. I couldn't save Kawarama or Itama. I am _not_ going to lose Tobirama too."

"Be sure to leave some for me," Madara replied stoically. "I'll show Kinkaku and Ginkaku the true meaning of a 'mother's wrath'."

* * *

><p>He groaned, feeling a terrible throbbing in his lower abdomen. He snapped his eyes open, remembering exactly <em>what<em> caused that throbbing. His hands flew to the open wound. They trembled as they tentatively covered it. His heart was pounding viciously against his ribcage the longer he stared at the wound. There was only one thought running through his mind.

Oh god, the baby.

He focused, trying to sense the tiny life force that he had grown accustomed to in the past two months. He felt his heart stop briefly at how faint the chakra was. He knew it'd be futile to try and save it. Even if it died, he knew he could always try again with Izuna. Next time, Izuna could be the mother and handle all the changes pregnancy brought with it. He knew Izuna would be devastated, but that was how life ran its course. He knew the child didn't deserve it. He knew this sort of thing happened just about anywhere. He knew he should get over it and move on like any shinobi should. He knew all of this.

Then why was he trying to use what little medical ninjutsu he did know to try and save it?

The chances of fetal survival after a wound sustained directly to the lower abdomen were unbelievably low. He should have given up hope right then and there, but he didn't. He sent all the available chakra he had to the child. If it gave his baby a chance to live, even a bit longer, he'd go for it.

_His_ baby.

When did he start referring to it as his baby? He didn't know. His feelings had become a maelstrom of panic and anguish. They completely disregarded any logical sense coming from his thoughts. He wasn't one to follow his emotions strictly because they hindered a shinobi's actions and judgments. For once, he was unable to overcome the feelings that plagued his mind. All he felt in that moment was that he _had_ to save the child, no matter how infinitesimally small the chance of survival was.

"You're going to have to do what you can to give your child the best care possible…because you never know what could happen…"

Madara's words echoed in the back of his mind. He had disregarded his words then. He never thought about the condition of the brat. It was a minuscule nuisance. Carrying it was just another task for him to do. Once it was done, Izuna would've been happy.

Had he really become so methodical that even the life of his own child had little emotional impact on him? He was supposed to be the "mother". A mother protected her children and loved them unconditionally. She'd give her own life for theirs if the situation called for it. Even if they stumbled down the path of darkness, she'd never hate them for the choices they had made.

Memories of his own mother came back to him. He remembered she was always there when he was frightened or when he was punished by his father. She was fiercely protective of all of her children. Even during the few pregnancies where she miscarried or had a stillborn, she had loved those kids as much as the ones that survived. She died trying to protect Kawarama. He saw them both die before his eyes as an Uchiha beheaded her and burned Kawarama alive with a Fire jutsu. She was strong and passionate. Even though she was gone, she still affected him to a degree even now.

"I'm nothing like that…" he muttered aloud, looking at his bloodied hands. "Should I even be called a parent?"

No. That was the answer his mind supplied. He hadn't once considered the wellbeing of his child. Now, that child would pay for his mistakes.

He couldn't let that happen.

He felt the little chakra fluctuate. A sense of desperation and resolve welled within him. He put his entire focus on saving that tiny life inside him. Even if he couldn't prevent the inevitable, he could at least delay it.

"…_Live,_" he mentally pleaded.

He heard an explosion in the distance, the ground below him shaking violently. He struggled to sit upright, wondering what caused the disturbance. He felt his eyes widen when he saw the orange-furred beast beyond the trees. He had heard from their undercover spies that Kumogakure was seeking the Tailed Beasts to strengthen their village. They already possessed the sacred tools of the Rikudo Sennin and were a formidable military power already. If they possessed the strongest of the Tailed Beasts, it would spell destruction on a massive scale for the other hidden villages.

Where was his brother when he was _actually_ needed?

"Tobirama!"

He raised his head at the familiar voice. He redirected his gaze towards the person running up to him. It was Izuna. The Uchiha rushed to his side, immediately hugging him out of relief.

"Thank goodness you're alive," he said. "When I heard that you were taken, I—"

Izuna cut off when Tobirama immediately clutched onto his arms, his form shaking slightly. He looked at the hands that grasped his clothing. They were coated with blood. Tobirama pulled away, his hands going to his middle as he hunched over in pain. Izuna peered at the area, feeling his breath hitch at what he saw.

"Tobirama, did…?" Izuna trailed off when Tobirama silently nodded. "Oh kami...Is it…?"

"Izuna, I can't save it…" said Tobirama.

"Just hang on for now. Try to keep it alive. Hashirama is coming soon. He and nii-san are handling the Nine-Tails at the moment."

"Why is the Nine-Tails here?"

"The Gold and Silver Brothers were apparently hunting it down, but they were eaten by it. That was not a pleasant sight to see. Now it's on a rampage and headed straight for Konoha. Any idea why they decided to take you?"

"No idea, but I can only assume they wanted to weaken the Hokage in some way…or perhaps…"

"What?"

"They do have the tools of the Rikudo Sennin. Why wouldn't they search for the blessed eyes of the Sage as well?"

"Didn't nii-san say that only Izumi-chan and the twins have that capability due to chakra or something?"

"Yes, but I doubt Kinkaku and Ginkaku knew that. They could have suspected a combination of Uchiha and Senju DNA would bring it forth. Maybe they knew about my…"

"I see…"

"Izuna," Tobirama began quietly. "Forgive me."

Izuna blinked. "What for?"

"For allowing this to happen," he replied, motioning to his wound. "If I had given a care…if I had actually listened to all of you, he…she wouldn't have been hurt like this."

"It's not your fault," Izuna said as comfortingly as possible.

"But—"

"Tobirama, if you didn't give a care you wouldn't be using all of your chakra right now to try and sustain it."

"You don't understand, Izuna. I thought of it as nothing more than a duty I needed to fulfill. I was doing it so you could be happy. I felt nothing for it. I never once considered it as a human life that needed to be protected."

"…I know."

Tobirama snapped his head up. "What do you mean 'you knew'?"

"I mean that I knew this was going to be a series of rapid changes that would take a lot of time for you to get used to. It's a lot to deal with all at once. Considering how you normally act, I knew you'd be less than inclined to treat this whole thing as a gift, but rather a job for you to complete. But…deep down, I felt like you'd eventually change that mindset. I honestly believed you'd come to like it, like nii-san did. Maybe I was asking for too much and, in doing so, I put a lot of strain on you."

Tobirama was silent as Izuna lowered his head.

"If anyone should be sorry, it should be me. I thought you'd be okay with everything since nothing ever seems to faze you. But you have issues and insecurities just like I do, even if you never show them. It was wrong of me to expect you to like this whole thing when you wanted nothing to do with it to this extent. So…"

Izuna raised his head, a look of sadness and determination in his eyes. "If you truly don't want any of this, then I'll be okay. We can try again some other time when you're completely sure that your Fertility Jutsu will work the way it was intended."

"Izuna, you aren't suggesting…?"

"I'm saying that if the worst should happen…then we can do that. If not, I want the choice to be yours. I won't force you into doing anything and I don't want you thinking it's a duty that you need to maintain. I won't judge you, no matter what your choice is in the end."

Tobirama said nothing as a contemplative look overcame his features. The answer was obvious. As cruel as it sounded, the logical part of him wanted to give up on this child and try again with Izuna. Things would be as they should have been. This time it would go the way it was planned to be.

Yet…he found himself unable to say the words.

There was another side of himself; one that fiercely fought back against his rational thoughts. These newly exposed instincts had claimed his emotions. They cried out that if he lost this child, his baby, then he would never be able to forgive himself no matter how much he thought it reasonable. A life was still a life and a child was still a child.

He had no right to take a life away like that. But he had done so easily in the war when he had no choice, so why would this be any different? Even though he had done it for Izuna's sake, he still had the choice of getting rid of it if he didn't want it. Why did he not make that choice before?

"I…" he trailed off, looking at his stomach.

Did he actually feel some semblance of love for this thing that was no bigger than a small fruit at this point? It had been nothing but a burden so far to him. How was it even possible? Perhaps he had misjudged his role in the whole thing. A connection that was shared between mother and child…was this what Madara and Izuna meant? It perplexed him, yet he found himself wanting to know more about it; both this bond and this child that muddled his thoughts and emotions to this extent.

"I don't want him…her…to die, Izuna," he answered. "I want to give this whole thing another chance, if I can."

He let out a disgruntled noise when Izuna hugged the dear life out of him. He looked at the side of Izuna's head in confusion when he heard his husband speak in a soft voice.

"Thank you, Tobirama," said Izuna. "I promise you; things are going to be different between you and I from this point onward. I'm never letting you out of my sight again!"

"Isn't that a bit extreme?" Tobirama deadpanned.

"Not from where I'm standing."

Both men paused before they turned towards the voice. They saw a battered and weary Hashirama carrying an unconscious Madara on his back. Hashirama grinned at them despite his tired appearance.

"I'm glad you're alright, otouto," he said as he gently placed Madara down. "Well…mostly alright."

Tobirama frowned, looking back to his wound. "Can you…?"

"I can try. Just sit still and let me work."

"What happened to you and nii-san?" Izuna demanded as Hashirama went to Tobirama's side and began healing the damage done to him. "You both look like the Nine-Tails stepped on you."

"It actually _did_ step on me!" Hashirama laughed. "Madara won't let me live that down when he comes to."

"Is he okay?"

"More or less…"

Izuna raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean 'more or less'? What did you do?"

Hashirama had a guilty expression on his face. Izuna's eyes bled red as they shifted to his Sharingan.

"Hashirama, tell me or I'll—"

"It was strong. We couldn't let it wander around causing destruction anywhere else, but we couldn't kill it. Madara…he suggested we seal it away so its power could never be used as a weapon by other nations."

Izuna's eyes widened. "Sealed? Where?"

"I told him I didn't want to place such a burden on him, but he was adamant about it. He said he'd rather be considered a monster than allow one to destroy the dreams of thousands. There was no way he was going to run the risk of the Nine-Tails harming the village…or his family."

"You _didn't_…"

Hashirama was still, but he didn't need to say anything. His silence gave away the answer.

* * *

><p><strong>Late update and I'm sorry. My muse was stuck on this chapter for a long time, but I'm finally over it. It's super long to make up for the super long wait, so I hope you enjoy!<strong>


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